Handling mechanism for installing and removing blow pipes in blast furnaces



H. C. HELMER Oct. 12, 1965 HANDLING MECHANISM FOR INSTALLING ANDREMOVING BLOW PIPES IN BLAST FURNACES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 19,1963 Q\ ///U/ .O MN mm m w l km v mam KN w x7 lNVE/VTOR. HARVEY C.HELMER By Mfifizfl Attorney Oct. 12, 1965 H. c. HELMER 3,211,442

HANDLING MECHANISM FOR INSTALLING AND REMOVING BLOW PIPES IN BLASTFURNACES Filed Feb. 19, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HARVEY C. HELMERAttorney United States Patent 3,211,442 HANDLING MECHANISM FORINSTALLING AND REMOVING BLOW PIPES IN BLAST FURNACES Harvey C. Helmer,Adolph, Minn., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, acorporation of New Jersey Filed Feb. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 259,522 7Claims. (Cl. 266-34) This invention relates to blast furnace blow pipesand, more particularly, to mechanism for handling them duringinstallation in and removal from a blast furnace.

The maintenance operation of removing and replacing blow pipes in ablast furnace is one that is required frequently since it is necessarywhenever a furnace tuyere must be replaced. Customarily this operationhas been performed manually by lifting the blow pipes into and out oftheir operating positions, in which they form hot blast connectionsrespectively between a tuyere and the stock of a bustle pipe gooseneck.Since the blow pipes are hot and heavy, their removal from a blastfurnace is difficult and the lifting operation for this purpose needsthe services of several members of the blast furnace maintenance crew.In addition, the time required for this to be done reduces the furnaceproduction since the draft must be cut back while it is being performed.

One of the principal objects of this invention accordingly is toeliminate the manual lifting required by conventional blast furnacemaintenance procedures for removing and replacing blow pipes in a blastfurnace. A related object is to reduce the time for this operation andthereby increase the furnace production. For these and other purposes,the invention contemplates a handling mechanism in the form of a trolleycarriage on which the blow pipe is suspended as it is moved into and outof its operating position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following description and the accompanying drawings, which show apreferred embodiment of the invention. In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional and side elevational viewshowing the general arrangement of the blow pipe handling mechanism ofthis invention with respect to one of the blast furnace tuyeres and theblow pipe connected therewith;

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal and fragmentary sectional 7 view whichillustrates somewhat diagrammatically the with a blow pipe suspendedthereon for movement to and o from its operative connecting position ina blast furnace;

FIGURE 4 is an end view looking in a direction from the left of theapparatus shown in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken subsubstantially along theline V-V of FIGURE 4.

The drawings show a conventional arrangement of blast furnace blow pipes1 and the manner in which they form hot blast connections between thefurnace tuyeres 2 and a bustle pipe 3. Each of the furnace tuyeres 2occupies a position at the inner end of a cooler casting 4 in thefurnace wall 5. Each of the blow pipes 1 is a cylindrical iron castingand, as shown in FIGURE 1, has its inner end 6 engaged with a tuyere 2and a curved flange 7 at its outer end that forms part of a socketconnection with the lower end of a stock 8, which has a similar socketconnection at its upper end to a gooseneck 9 that in turn is connectedwith the bustle pipe 3. A bridle 10 holds the lower end of the stock 8engaged with the blow pipe flange 7 and the inner end 6 of the blow pipe1 engaged with the tuyere 2.

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In order to remove a tuyere 2 from a cooler casting 4, the blow pipe 1connected therewith must first be removed. This is done by releasing thebridle 10 to permit limited movement of the stock 8 to the right asviewed in FIGURE 1 and its disengagement from the blow pipe flange 7.This releases the blow pipe 1 for disengagement of its inner end 6 fromthe tuyere 2 and its movement out of the space 13 centrally of thecooler casting 4. As indicated above, this operation according toconventional blast furnace maintenance procedures is performed manuallyby lifting the blow pipe 1 out of its operating position. The weight andtemperature of the blow pipe 1 make this a difficult and time consumingoperation.

In accordance with the principles of this invention, a blow pipehandling mechanism in the form of a trolley support is provided at eachof the tuyeres 2 for the blow pipe 1 with which it is connected. Each ofsuch handling mechanisms comprises a trolley carriage 15 that issupported for movement on a horizontal trackway 16. The trackway 16 is acurved I-beam that is supported at its ends by hangar brackets 17. Thecarriage 15 has trolley wheels 18 on opposite sides thereof that haverolling engagement with the bottom flange 19 of the I-beam trackway 16which thus guides the movement of the carriage 15. The hanger brackets17 and bolts 20, which secure the I-beam to the brackets 17, act asstops for limiting movement of the carriage 15 at the ends of thetrackway 16. The curvature of each trackway beam 16 is such that itsouter end 21 extends radially with respect to the blast furnace andunder the bustle pipe 3, and its inner end 22 is spaced above the blowpipe 1 and extends in a direction generally transversely thereof for apurpose to be described.

A support for suspending a blow pipe 1 on the trolley carriage 15 isfurnished by a clamping collar 23 and a telescopic vertical shaft 24.The shaft 24 comprises an upper part 25 that is supported by a thrustbearing 26 on the carriage 15 for rotation about a vertical axis and alower part 27 that is telescopically received in the upper part 25. Thebearing 26 provides for rotation or swinging movement of a blow pipecarried by the clamping collar 23 about a vertical axis between itsends. Vertical adjustment of the length of the shaft 24 to vary thevertical position of a blow pipe 1 suspended thereby is effected byadjusting the telescopic position of the shaft part 27 in the part 25.This is accomplished by a wedge 28 and a slide plate 29 that extendthrough aligned vertical slots 30 and 31 respectively in opposite sidesof the shaft parts 25 and 27. The plate 29 is stationary and issupported on the lower ends of the vertical slots 30 in the shaft part25. The upper edge of the plate 29 furnishes a slide support for thewedge 28. The upper edge 32 of the wedge 28 is inclined and has cammingengagement with the upper ends of the slots 31 in the lower shaft part27. Upon endwise movement of wedge 28 over the slide plate 29 thecamming action of its upper edge operates to adjust the verticalposition of the lower shaft part 27 with respect to the upper shaft part25. A pin 33 may be inserted in openings 34 in the wedge 28 to hold itagainst movement out of any given position of adjustment. The plate 29and wedge 28 further operate to prevent relative rotation of the shaftparts 25 and 27 The clamping collar 23 is formed in two parts 35 and 36that are secured together in clamping engagement about the externalsurface of a blow pipe 1 by wedges 37. The upper collar part '36 has apin and clevis connection 38 with the lower end of the shaft part 27that provides for adjustment of the angular position of the blow pipe 1with respect to the shaft 24. A leveling screw 39 enables adjustment ofthis angular position. The pin of the con nection 38 is removable toprovide for assembly of the clamping collar 23 on a blow pipe prior toits connection with the vertical shaft 24.

Movement of the carriage 15 over the trackway rail 16 is effectedmanually by hooks (not shown) that engage in pulling eyes 40 at oppositesides of the carriage 15.

When removal of a blow pipe 1 is required, for example, to remove ablast furnace tuyere 2 with which it is connected, the clamping collar23 is first applied to the blow pipe. After this has been done thetrolley carriage 15 is moved to a position at the inner end 22 of thetrackway rail 16 on which it is supported. In this position, thecarriage 15 is over the blow pipe 1 so that the clamping collar 23 maythen be connected to the vertical shaft 24 by assembly of the clevisconnection 38. Next the bridle is operated to release the engagement ofthe stock 8 with the blow pipe flange 7 to permit removal of the blowpipe 1. The carriage is then pulled over the rail 16 in a directiontoward its outer end 21 and, as this movement takes place, the blow pipe1 and supporting shaft 24 are rotated about the axis of the bearing 26so that the blow pipe 1 is swung about an axis intermediate its ends topermit withdrawal of its inner end 6 from the opening 13 in the tuyerecooler casting 4. The combined swinging and withdrawal movements of theblow pipe 1 are manually controlled by members of the maintenance crew,but while these movements are taking place the weight of the blow pipe 1is supported entirely by the trolley carriage 15. Installation orreplacement of a blow pipe 1 is effected by performing the aboveoperations in reverse order. It will of course be apparent that the blowpipe handling mechanism of this invention eliminates the physical effortpreviously required for supporting blow pipes during their removal andreplacement and thus enables these operations to be performed with lessdifficulty and in a shorter period of time. The period of time in whichthe furnace must be operated on reduced draft is accordingly decreasedwith a corresponding increase in the production of the furnace.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described itwill be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be madewithout departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a blast furnace, an apparatus for moving a blow pipe to and from aconnecting position extending between a tuyere and the stock of agooseneck connection to a bustle pipe comprising, a horizontal trackwayarranged above and extending transversely with respect to the saidconnecting position of said blow pipe, a carriage movable over saidtrackway, and means suspending said blow pipe from said carriage in asubstantially horizontal position and providing for its swingingmovement about a vertical axis between opposite ends of said blow pipe,said blow pipe swinging movement and movement of said carriage over saidtrackway providing for movement of said blow pipe between saidconnecting position and a withdrawn position at one side of and clear ofthe space between said stock and said tuyere.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 characterized by said trackway beingcurved with its inner end extending over the said connecting position ofsaid blow pipe and its outer end extending radially with respect to andunder the bustle pipe of said furnace.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 characterized by said carriagecomprising a trolley mounted for guided movement over said trackway, andby said suspending means comprising a vertically extending shaftrotatably supported on said trolley.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 characterized further by saidsuspending means including means for adjusting the length of said shaftand thereby the vertical position of the blow pipe suspended thereby.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 characterized further by saidsuspending means including a clamping collar for clamping engagementwith a blow pipe, and means mounting said collar and thereby a blow pipewith which it is engaged on the lower end of said shaft.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 characterized by said collar mountingmeans comprising a pin and clevis connection between said collar andshaft, and means for adjusting the pivotal position of said collar aboutsaid connection with respect to said shaft.

7. Blow pipe handling mechanism for blast furnaces comprising a trolleycarriage, means for suspending a blow pipe on said carriage in ahorizontal position, said suspending means including means providing forswinging movement of a blow pipe supported thereby about a vertical axisbetween opposite ends of said blow pipe, and a trackway supporting saidtrolley carriage for movement between a position directly over the spacenormally occupied by a blow pipe in a blast furnace to a withdrawnposition at one side thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,111,701 11/63Cantieri 15317 FOREIGN PATENTS 5,903 7/01 Austria.

365,036 12/22 Germany. WHITMORE A. WILTZ, Primary Examiner. JAMES H.TAYMAN, JR., MORRIS WOLK, Examiners.

1. IN A BLAST FURNACE, AN APPARATUS FOR MOVING A BLOW PIPE TO AND FROM ACONNECTING POSITION EXTENDING BETWEEN A TUYERE AND THE STOCK OF AGOOSENECK CONNECTION TO A BUSTLE PIPE COMPRISING, A HORIZONTAL TRACKARRANGED ABOVE AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY WITH RESPECT TO THE SAIDCONNECTING POSITION OF SAID BLOW PIPE, A CARRIAGE MOVABLE OVER SAIDTRACKWAY, AND MEANS SUSPENDING SAID BLOW PIPE FROM SAID CARRIAGE IN ASUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL POSITION AND PROVIDING FOR ITS SWINGINGMOVEMENT ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS BETWEEN OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID BLOW PIPE,SAID BLOW PIPE SWINGING MOVEMENT AND MOVEMENT OF SAID CARRIAGE OVER SAIDTRACKWAY PROVIDING FOR MOVEMENT OF SAID BLOW PIPE BETWEEN SAIDCONNECTION POSITION AND A WITHDRAWN POSITION AT ONE SIDE OF AND CLEAR OFTHE SPACE BETWEEN AOD STOCK AND SAID TUYERE.